When to plant pitaya
Answering netizens' questions about when to plant pitaya and the green plant maintenance tips for the timing and methods of planting pitaya, the following is an introduction by the editor.
Pitaya is a tropical and subtropical fruit, with an appearance like flames, generally with a purplish-pink peel, and the flesh can be white or purplish-red. However, the texture of the flesh is very similar, both being tender, juicy, and slightly sweet and sour, making it a good fruit for desserts. Of course, for our planting friends, the market prospects are usually the prospects for planting. Now is the season for pitaya to mature, and with the popularity of pitaya in the market, friends who want to start pitaya planting can be introduced to some planting techniques by the editor:
When to plant pitaya?
Pitaya can be planted all year round but should not be planted too deep, about 3 inches deep is sufficient. Keep the soil moist in the early stage. It starts to bloom and bear fruit 12-14 months after planting,开花 12-15 times a year, with the fruiting period from April to November. The fruit ripens 30-40 days after flowering, with a single fruit weight of 500-1000 grams. In the second year after planting, each column can produce more than 20 fruits, and in the third year, it enters the peak fruiting period. With high management levels, the yield can reach 2500 kilograms per mu.
What conditions are needed to plant pitaya?
1. Temperature: Pitaya is not afraid of high temperatures but is afraid of low temperatures. It requires an average annual temperature not lower than 18°C, an average temperature in January not lower than 8°C, extreme low temperature -3°C, duration not exceeding 6 hours, and the optimal growth temperature is 25-35°C. Growth will stop when the temperature is below 10°C or above 38°C.
2. Soil: Pitaya is highly adaptable to soil and can grow well in mountainous, dry, semi-dry, stony mountainous, barren, and waterlogged low-lying areas. Especially after grafting with the local Hylocereus, its adaptability is even broader.
3. Water: Pitaya is a drought-tolerant plant but requires abundant water for growth. If the planting site is chronically short of water, it will cause the growth of pitaya to stop, and even the originally robust stems will gradually wither.
4. Light: Pitaya is a typical heliophyte, preferring warm direct sunlight. If there is sufficient light and sunlight, photosynthesis is particularly vigorous, the stems are robust and dark green, and there are many large fruits, otherwise, the fruit yield is significantly reduced.
5. Fertilizer: Pitaya grows quickly, and the required amount of fertilizer must be sufficient throughout the growing period. Nitrogen fertilizer should be supplied in the early growth stage to help the plant grow tall and strong, and a balanced application of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers should be used in the later stages to increase photosynthesis.
Pitaya planting management techniques
1. Planting methods: There are many ways to plant pitaya, such as planting on walls or in greenhouses, but columnar cultivation is the most common, with the advantage of low production costs and high land utilization.
2. Planting specifications: The spacing for double-season column planting is 1.5x2 meters, with 4 seedlings planted around each column, totaling 750 plants per mu. Note that it should not be planted too deep, about 3 centimeters deep is sufficient, and the soil should be kept moist in the early stage.
3. Light and frequent fertilization: Pitaya has a long harvesting period, and organic fertilizer should be applied heavily every year, with a balanced long-term application of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compound fertilizers. Additional potassium and magnesium fertilizers should be applied during flowering and fruiting, and the soil should be kept moist during the fruiting period, with the tree base covered with grass or mushroom residue.
4. Pinching and pruning: When the branches reach 1.3-1.4 meters long, pinch the tips to promote branching and let the branches hang naturally. After harvesting each year, cut off the fruiting branches to allow new ones to grow, ensuring the yield for the next year.
5. Reasonable intercropping: Red-fleshed pitaya has poor self-compatibility, with low self-pollination fruit rate, small fruits, and poor commercial quality. It needs white-fleshed pitaya for pollination, and intercropping with about 10% white-fleshed pitaya can significantly increase the fruiting rate.
6. Artificial pollination: Artificial pollination should be carried out during rainy weather, which can be done in the evening when the flowers are open or in the morning before the flowers close, by directly applying pollen to the pistil with a brush.
7. Disease and pest control: Pitaya has few diseases and pests, but young seedlings are prone to damage from snails and ants, which can be controlled with insecticides. During hot and humid seasons, it is prone to diseases with partial stem necrosis and mold spots, which can be controlled with rust inhibitors and strong copper oxide.
When to plant pitaya
In its natural state, pitaya is smooth, juicy, and has an attractive appearance. In the current scientific planting techniques, the use of pesticides is minimized, and some plants have even developed hydroponic techniques to effectively reduce the contamination of diseases and pesticides, making them very popular. Therefore, for high profits in existing cost planting, scientific and healthy planting is increasingly essential. If you want to learn more about pitaya planting knowledge, follow me, and I will answer your questions.
The above is the green plant maintenance tips for when to plant pitaya and the timing and methods of pitaya planting, hoping to bring you help in life!